Mr Jones & I
by Rietta
Summary: AU. 'You never really stop loving someone. You just learn to try to live without them.' But what happens when you just can't seem to stop running into the person you're trying to live without?
1. I Don't Want To Talk About It

**Firstly, a note on my other ongoing Torchwood fics- I fully intend to finish both 'A Marriage of Convenience' and 'Models and Musicians: Matchmaking', but the inspiration for them just isn't there at the moment so I cannot say **_**when**_** they will be finished, just that eventually they will be. Thanks for bearing with me.**

**Secondly, let me reassure you that this story is already finished, so you'll be getting a chapter a day from start to finish, no interruptions or long breaks. You see, I'm learning from my mistakes… XD**

**Thirdly, I will write a short request fic (any plotline, any pairing, within reason) for the first person to correctly figure out the significance of the chapter titles.**

**Fourthly, a disclaimer: In case it isn't obvious from the fact that I'm a poor student rather than a TV executive, I don't own anything. The lyrics included with this chapter belong, I believe, to Danny Whitten, though probably the best-known version of the song was by Rod Stewart.**

**Finally, massive thanks to my super-awesome beta Amethystbutterflys, who interrupted the writing of a kissing scene to bring you this just a tad earlier. This one's dedicated to you, Cariad. Cara'ch! x**

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**Mr Jones & I**

**Chapter 1**

**I Don't Want To Talk About It**

(_I don't wanna talk about it, how you broke my heart…_)

* * *

"You still use his name to book restaurants?" Toshiko Sato asked incredulously as her best friend hung up the phone.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Well you try booking a restaurant in Wales under the name 'Jones'," he defended himself, and she laughed.

"You could have used my name- as far as I know I'm the only 'Sato' in Cardiff."

The Welshman sighed. "Yeah, well. Force of habit, I guess."

"So remind me again why you broke up with him?" Tosh enquired. The last thing she wanted was to upset her friend, but she could not understand why he had called time on an eleven month relationship that had seemed to be going so well.

Ianto sighed again. "I thought I told you why, Tosh- he never ever would have meant to hurt me deliberately; the problem was he was just too damn good at doing it accidentally. I just had to get out before the first anniversary- if we made it past one year I would have risked ending up settling for a relationship I wasn't one hundred percent happy in. I'm twenty-six, Tosh- I'm too young to settle."

"But…" Tosh started, then dropped it. Something told her Ianto would probably rather discus something else over coffee- her own hopeless love life, perhaps.

* * *

"Can I make a booking for 7:30pm tonight, please? Table for two, name of Harkness…" Jack idly twirled a pen between his fingers as he made the dinner reservation. The next second, it went clattering to the floor as the American struggled to process the host's answer:

'_I already have a table for two booked in that name for that time, Sir- is it possible that your companion has already made a reservation?_'

"No, I am quite sure she hasn't," he responded quickly, almost failing in his attempt not to sound too sharp. "So I would still like to make the reservation, please. I could put it in the name 'Jones', but I doubt that would make matters any simpler for you," he commented lightly.

'_No Sir, I'm afraid it wouldn't_,' the host replied with a hint of a smile in his voice. '_A table for two at 7:30pm in the name of Harkness it is then_.'

"Thank you. I don't suppose you could do me a favour? If it's at all possible, I don't suppose you could ensure that the two tables booked under the name Harkness are as far apart as possible? Thank you so much. I'll see you tonight."

Hanging up the phone, the American cursed under his breath. As far as he was aware, there were only two other people in Cardiff who might make reservations under the name 'Harkness', and neither was a man he particularly wanted to see.

* * *

As usual, Ianto Jones arrived at _Sorontino's_ right on time. Knowing her friend's propensity for punctuality, Toshiko had been ready five minutes before time, earning an extra dose of pleasure in the appreciative look Ianto shot her. As they followed the host to their table, he could not help but admire her figure as she moved. Owen Harper must be blind not to notice the beauty that was before him.

"Could we have a bottle of house white, please?" the Welshman enquired politely as he took his seat, and the host instantly replied in the affirmative, moving away just in time to give Ianto a clear view to the entrance of the restaurant. His hand froze half-way to his menu and for a second he forgot to breathe.

"Ianto? What's the matter?" Tosh demanded anxiously, turning in her seat to see what had him so spooked. It was an unnecessary movement- she had not even turned halfway when a voice rang through the restaurant. She would know that American accent anywhere.

* * *

Jack had to confess that he felt more than a little nervous as he stepped into _Sorontino's_ at 7:35pm that evening, late both by force of habit and a desire not to run directly into the overly punctual man he suspected was behind the second table booked in his name. However, ever good at hiding his feelings, he concealed his trepidation easily; though perhaps his voice was a decibel or two louder than usual as he greeted the host. His date did not appear to notice, fortunately; and neither did she notice the fact that he resolutely kept his gaze away from the other side of the restaurant as he followed the host to the table.

"Glass of red wine?" he asked as he pulled his date's chair out for her, and Martha Jones smiled winningly back at him.

"Was that a lucky guess or need I beware your psychic powers, Captain Harkness?"

"Lucky guess," he confessed with a wink as he took his own seat, then leaned forward confidentially. "But if you intend to address me as 'Captain', Miss Jones, next time I take you to dinner it will be in the Officers' Mess."

Martha leant forward too, echoing Jack's smile. "Actually, it's _Doctor_ Jones."

The American chuckled. "Well yes, I know that Doc. I was momentarily confused by my brain's decision to serenade itself with the soundtrack of Bridget Jones' Diary."

"Yeah, right. Not that I'd mind a date in the Officers' Mess, Captain- you gotta love a man in uniform."

"I see, you're looking for a relationship with my uniform? Such a pity you didn't tell me before, I could have sent it out to dinner and put my feet up in front of the TV."

"So tell me, Captain, what _do_ uniforms eat?"

Jack laughed- god it felt good. He could not remember laughing at all in the last month or so, even when Gwen had marched round armed with Monty Python in an attempt to cheer him up.

"I don't know, Doctor- I've never taken my uniform out to dinner before."

"Can I just say that I'm more than a little relieved by that fact?"

* * *

"What the hell is he doing here?" Ianto muttered under his breath as he unfroze and hid behind his menu. Tosh diplomatically refrained from suggesting that Jack was there having dinner, something against which there was no law.

"Do you think he's on a date?" she mused instead, and Ianto glared.

"God, I hope not. It's bad enough to run into him, never mind his new girlfriend as well."

"Well, if we just sit tight hopefully they'll miss seeing us- they are right on the other side of the restaurant, after all," Toshiko consoled him, biting her lip to stop herself from reminding Ianto that he had dumped Jack, not vice versa. She had liked the brash American.

* * *

Determinedly ignoring the table on the other side of the restaurant which he was sure housed his ex, Jack's date was going astonishingly well, under the circumstances. Martha was gorgeous, bright and funny, and he found himself having a really good time with her- at least up until the moment he decided to visit the bathroom whilst waiting for dessert. The first thing the American spotted upon entering the room was Ianto leaning over the sink.

"Hey," he started, inwardly cursing his timing. But open though he might be about some things, Jack just wasn't comfortable answering nature's call in front of the man who had unceremoniously dumped him a month and a half previously with no apparent concrete reason.

* * *

If Ianto's evening had started badly, his decision to use the facilities after the main course made it much, much worse. He was washing his hands when the door to the toilets opened and someone walked in. Ianto didn't really pay attention until a painfully familiar voice hesitantly said 'Hey.' Startled, he turned the tap the wrong way, causing the water to flow faster and splash out of the sink into a rather unfortunate pattern in a rather unfortunate location on his trousers.

"Cachu!" he swore vehemently, leaping backwards.

"Want a hand?" The lazy American drawl riled him, and he could not keep from snapping back.

"I'm fine!"

"Are you?" Jack asked, leaning against the wall by the hand dryers.

"Yes," the Welshman insisted, resolutely avoiding his ex's eye as he wrestled the tap into submission with little further damage to his dignity. "What about you- are you on a date?" He didn't know where the question had come from, just that he suddenly needed to know the answer.

"Yeah," the American replied with a shrug. "No law against it, is there? Seeing as you're no longer interested…"

"Yeah, about that…" Ianto started awkwardly.

Jack shook his head. "Forget it."

"No, really… I'm sorry, Jack."

"I said forget it. It's over now, finito, in the past. Time to move on." Jack's tone was final. Ianto nodded in defeat.

"Well, I should be getting back to my table; my dessert has probably arrived and I don't want to keep Tosh waiting."

"Tiramisu?" Jack guessed, and the Welshman nodded in surprise.

"Yeah."

The American grinned. "Lucky guess. So. It was good to see you, Ianto. Enjoy the dessert."

"Thanks," Ianto murmured, not knowing what else to say as he quit the room, noting as the door swung shut that in a bizarre stroke of poetic justice he and Jack had been conversing against the background of 'I Don't Want To Talk About It.' He also noted that Jack had not asked if he was on a date. And for some reason, that hurt.

* * *

"Everything ok?" Martha enquired anxiously as Jack arrived back at the table to see that the desserts had beaten him there.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" the American forced a grin as he slipped into his seat.

"Oh; it's just… you were an awfully long time in there," Martha stuttered in response.

"Oh, yeah; I ran into somebody I used to know and stopped to say hello," Jack explained glibly, picking up his fork and attacking his tiramisu. Nodding in understanding, Martha began on her profiteroles with no further comment on the matter. The rest of the evening passed wonderfully smoothly; and though the sharp flavour of the coffee dessert left a lasting bitter aftertaste in his mouth, Jack asked Martha on a second date. His smile was genuine when she acquiesced.


	2. What Hurts The Most

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed so far! **

**Special thanks to Amethystbutterflys for the beta- cara'ch Cariad! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong, I believe, to Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson. The song has been covered by quite a few people- the version I have is by Rascal Flatts.

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**Chapter 2**

**What Hurts The Most**

(_What hurts the most was being so close, and having so much to say, and watching you walk away; and never knowing what could have been, and not seeing that loving you is what I was trying to do…_)

* * *

A week or so later, Ianto was peacefully going about his weekly shop when he suddenly spotted an all-too-familiar back-of-a-head in the aisle ahead of him. Panicked, he backed away quickly- Jack was the last person he wanted to see at that moment, especially since he was dressed down in scruffy jeans and an old t-shirt- and all the manuals said you were supposed to look gorgeous when running into your ex, to show them what they were missing.

Unfortunately, Ianto's brilliant escape plan had one fatal flaw: he had forgotten to account for the fact that he did not have eyes in the back of his head. In his hurry, his foot caught on the bottom tin of a stack, sending it crashing to the floor and instantly making him the centre of attention.

"Bugger!" he muttered under his breath as the one person he had been trying to avoid whipped round and stared at him, laughter sparking in the bright blue eyes as he took in the sight of the Welshman sprawled on the floor amidst a sea of fallen tins, the subject of many glares from other shoppers. Grinning, Jack abandoned his trolley and headed over.

"You know, you could just have said hello!" he quipped as he reached down to help Ianto to his feet. "Cute guy like you, I would have noticed. No need to bring the store down round my ears to get my attention."

Ianto flushed as he surveyed the damage. "Thanks," he muttered. "You know, for picking me up."

The instant the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. Jack lost no time in smirking.

"I'd pick you up any time, sexy."

Ianto shot him a stern look. "'Sexy' is off-limits now, Jack- you're an ex."

Jack pouted. "Does that mean I'm not allowed to call you Tiger Pants any more?"

Ianto couldn't help it- he burst out laughing. "You never called me that when we were together," he pointed out.

"I was waiting for the opportune moment," Jack winked as he helped Ianto pick up the fallen tins and rearrange them into some semblance of order.

The Welshman rolled his eyes. "Let me assure you, Captain Sparrow, that was not it."

The American poked his tongue out in response, looking like a six-year-old, for all his thirty-three years.

"'Captain Sparrow' is off-limits to you, Ianto- you're an ex."

Ianto smirked. "Well actually, he's not. He was off-limits to me whilst I was with you. At least, I assumed he was."

"Oh, he was," Jack assured him with a grin. "Not that he'd've gone for you anyway- he's hopelessly in love with Elizabeth Swann."

Ianto faked a dreamy sigh. "Elizabeth Swann- now _there's_ a woman worth going straight for!"

Jack shot him a sidelong glance. "So's Toshiko Sato," he commented.

Ianto bit his lip, his rapidly improving mood immediately taking a dip. "Is this the point where I'm supposed to ask how… what's-her-name is?"

Jack smiled. "Her name is Martha; and she's fine, thanks for asking."

Ianto looked away, noting with surprise that the stack of tins appeared to have rebuilt itself during their conversation.

Jack noticed too, and blinked. "Oh look!" he commented a little too brightly. "Time really does fly when you're having fun."

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You have a very strange idea of fun, Captain Harkness."

The American bit his lip. "Hey," he began hesitantly, "Would it be wildly inappropriate of me to ask if you want to grab a coffee?"

"Yes," Ianto responded promptly. "I have frozen goods on my list."

Jack smiled fondly. "Always so practical and organised…"

Ianto grinned. "Yep, that's me. I always have a back-up 'escape from awkward conversation with the ex' plan for when my first attempt fails spectacularly."

Jack straightened up, hurt flashing across his face. "Yeah, well. See you around, I guess."

He was gone before Ianto had time to repeat the sentiment. The Welshman stared at the newly reconstructed stack of tins and heaved a sigh.

"Bugger."

As he clambered resignedly to his feet, he was dryly amused to notice 'What Hurts The Most' playing in the background.

* * *

"Do you think I made a huge mistake, Tosh?"

Toshiko glanced at her friend over the top of her cappuccino. "In what way?" she asked.

Ianto sighed. "I saw Jack today. We flirted," he confessed. "His girlfriend is called Martha, and she's fine, apparently."

Tosh frowned. "Run that sentence again in your head and tell me what's wrong with it, Yan."

The Welshman heaved another sigh. "I know, I know. But I miss him, Tosh."

His blue eyes were downcast, and the technician put her own misgivings aside and placed a comforting hand over his.

"Of course you do," she consoled. "He's very charismatic. That kind of Presence does leave a gaping hole in one's life. But do remember, Yan, you're the one who dumped him."

"I know," the Welshman sighed again. "And I'm now wondering if that was a mistake."

Tosh sighed too. "Remind me again why you broke up with him?"

Ianto closed his eyes. "I told you, Tosh; I wasn't happy."

"Bollocks," the technician replied sternly. "You were happier then than I've ever seen you, and you just told me that you miss him."

Ianto stood up sharply. "Yeah, well, thanks for the coffee, Tosh."

Toshiko stared after his retreating back and rolled her eyes. "One of these days…" she muttered darkly, draining her own coffee. There was a nice bottle of wine waiting in the fridge which would satisfy her far more.


	3. All Out Of Love

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Hope you're enjoying it so far!**

**Special thanks to my fabulous beta Amethystbutterflys- I'm counting down to February! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong to Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, and the classic version of the song is of course by Air Supply (aka the aforementioned gentlemen). However, I'm guessing quite a lot of you are also (if not more) familiar with the John Barrowman version. For obvious reasons, my playlist has the original version.

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**Chapter 3**

**All Out Of Love**

(_I'm all out of love- what am I without you? I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong…_)

* * *

Two weeks later, and things were still rocky between the two friends. Ianto resented Tosh's inquisitiveness and lack of faith, whilst the technician was hurt by her friend's insistence on lying. Giving one another space had initially seemed the best idea, a situation which had dragged out for far longer than it really should due to the stubbornness of both parties.

Actually, Ianto was surprised Tosh had lasted two weeks, but then again the quiet technician could be surprisingly stubborn when she wanted to be. If the Welshman was honest with himself, he was really rather relieved when his phone rang and the name 'Toshiko' flashed up on the display- he'd been on the point of quelling his own stubborn streak and calling her himself.

"I'm sorry!" he answered the phone, and promptly burst out laughing as he realised she had opened with exactly the same sentiment at exactly the same time. He could feel her smile down the line, and it warmed him.

"_Listen, do you want to meet up somewhere and talk, Yan?_" she asked when they had got their mirth under control, and he nodded despite the fact that she couldn't see him.

"Yeah, that would be great," he responded. "Usual place?"

"_Sure; I'll meet you there in fifteen minutes?_"

"Roger that." Old habits died hard, and the quasi-military expressions Jack had instilled in him still came naturally to the Welshman.

Hanging up, Ianto checked the clock on his phone before slipping it back into his pocket. Damn, it was going to take a good thirty minutes to walk to their usual café by the Bay from here- he'd have to grab a cab.

Spotting one pulling up near the St. David's Centre he hurried towards it, concentrating too hard to notice the man rushing for the vehicle until they collided hard beside it, fingers groping for the handle. The wind knocked out of him by the impact Ianto stumbled back, wheezing an apology.

"Oh god, I'm sor-" the words died in his mouth as he glanced up and took in the face of his competition.

"Fuck!" Ianto muttered as blue eyes locked with blue eyes, and Jack's own apology met a similar fate as he took a reflexive step backwards. Quicker to recover than the Welshman, the Captain shot his ex one of his trademark dazzling grins.

"We have _got_ to stop running into one another like this!"

Ianto merely rolled his eyes, and Jack continued, unperturbed. "You ok?" he asked, reaching out hand to steady the Welshman, and Ianto nodded, trying not to flinch away from the warm and comforting touch.

"You work out too much," he retorted as he caught his breath. "People wouldn't get so winded when you run into them if you carried a bit of padding."

Jack laughed. "Time was I could make you breathless without colliding with you in the street," he leered, straightening his shirt. Ianto knew full well it would be crooked again before long, and he frowned at the American.

"Are you sure that's entirely appropriate, Captain?" he murmured.

Jack gave him a characteristic smirk. "What, slamming you into the side of a taxi? You never used to complain."

Ianto's breath hitched at the memories, and he fought to control himself. "You split up with Martha then?" he asked levelly.

Jack blinked. "No. I'm on my way to meet her now, as a matter of fact. Don't tell me you're interested; because you'll have a hard time making me believe it."

"I'm not," the Welshman responded shortly, inwardly cursing himself.

"Ok then." Jack's grin was back in force now. "Where are you meeting Tosh? The usual place?"

"Yep." Ianto nodded, briefly toying with the idea of finding a new 'usual place'. He wasn't sure he could cope if Jack suddenly started showing up in the café as well.

Oblivious to Ianto's thoughts, the American beamed. "Excellent! I'm heading that way myself; we can share the cab, split the fare, win-win situation all round."

He turned to open the door for Ianto, only to find that someone else had sneaked the cab whilst they had been talking and his hand fell on empty air. He blinked again, as if surprised by this.

"The Mystery of the Disappearing Cab," he grinned, looking around for another.

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "That an Enid Blyton or an Agatha Christie?" he questioned, and Jack gave him one of the lopsided smiles which always made his heart flip.

"Your sense of humour is nothing changed, I see," he commented as he spied another vehicle and summoned it over, grinning as it stopped.

"Why change the habit of a lifetime?" he retorted, privately thinking that it was a good thing Tosh wasn't there- she would have disagreed vehemently. There had been little sign of Ianto's dry wit in the two months since his break-up with Jack, the sarcastic humour giving way to quiet brooding.

Jack grinned as he followed the Welshman into the cab and gave the driver the address of Ianto's favourite waterfront café. "Glad to hear it- you wouldn't be Ianto without the wit and sarcasm."

The comment haunted Ianto through the rest of the light conversation as the vehicle sped towards the bay. Supposing that was true, what was he turning into without Jack? Frowning to himself, Ianto barely noticed the rest of the journey and the harmless small talk with his ex. It was not until he was disembarking that the soft strains of the radio broke through his reverie and he realised with a wry smile that he was hearing the closing notes of 'All Out Of Love'.

"Damn!" he muttered under his breath as he turned from Jack's smile with a vague wave and headed in the direction of his café, not looking back- he did not want to see which restaurant the American was taking his girlfriend to.

Toshiko was waiting for him in the café, and the Welshman forced a smile as he bought the coffees and sat down to hear a long diatribe on the acerbic young doctor Tosh was hung up on. Earning forgiveness for their past argument by listening patiently, Ianto forced all thoughts of Jack's dazzling grin to the back of his mind as he concentrated on what his friend was saying and offered sympathy when needed. As if accepting that Ianto's love life was a dangerous topic at present, they both subconsciously steered clear of it, and Ianto did not mention sharing a cab with Jack.


	4. No Regrets

**Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed! I'm afraid this chapter is a little on the short side, but there are longer chapters coming up later which should make up for it. Hope you enjoy!**

**Special thanks to my awesome beta Amethystbutterflys for all the positive encouragement and cheering up. Cara'ch! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong, I believe, to Robbie Williams.

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**Chapter 4**

**No Regrets**

(_No regrets- they don't work; no regrets- they only hurt… Sing me a love song, drop me a line- I suppose it's just a point of view but they tell me I'm doing fine…_)

* * *

It was a month since Ianto had reluctantly shared a taxi with Jack, and the Welshman was slowly coming to terms with the absence of the American in his life. At any rate, he was more relaxed now, and had stopped fearing that he was going to find Jack lurking around every corner he turned.

Of course, sod's law dictated that as soon as Ianto stopped expecting to run into the American everywhere, he encountered Jack in a totally unexpected place. It was a rainy Thursday some four weeks since the incident with the taxi, and Ianto's working day was in full swing. Having dealt successfully with one customer, he pressed the button to call for the next and was astonished to look up into an all too familiar pair of dazzling blue eyes. Caught completely by surprise, all he could do was stutter: "You don't bank here!"

"Is that how you greet all your customers?" Jack asked with a smirk.

"Only the ones which bank with HSBC," the Welshman retorted, recovering his composure a little.

Jack grinned. "Maybe I fancied a change."

Ianto raised a sceptical eyebrow. "I've been working for this bank for eight years, Captain Harkness, and in my vast experience adult males do NOT switch bank merely because they fancy a change. Would you care to stop wasting my time and tell me what I can do for you?"

Jack pouted slightly. "You're no fun anymore!" he complained. Ianto glared, and Jack hastened to provide a serious answer, holding his hands up in self-defence.

"Alright, alright! Martha asked me to bank a cheque for her 'cause she's on a double shift in A&E today. I was gonna use one of those cute pay-in envelopes, but then I spotted you were working and thought I'd come over and say hi."

"Thereby wasting more than one person's precious time," Ianto muttered under his breath as he pushed a pay-in envelope at Jack, who frowned.

"I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have disturbed you at work. But I did kinda hope that one day we could put this behind us and be friends, you know?"

Ianto sighed, rubbing the heel of his hand over his forehead wearily. "I'm sorry; I know I've probably been unforgivably rude to you these past couple of months. I'm just not great at letting go, you know?"

Jack frowned again as he began to fill out Martha's details on the envelope. "You dumped me, remember?" he reminded the Welshman.

Ianto sighed again. "I know. But you moved on so quickly, Jack. I can't deny that hurt."

"You're not regretting ending it, are you?" Jack demanded with a trace of something unreadable in his voice.

Ianto shook his head sharply. "No! No," he repeated more softly before lifting his eyes to the American's. "No, friends sounds good," he said with barely perceptible effort.

Jack smiled. "Friends it is," he agreed, passing Ianto the envelope. "See you around."

And with one of his trademark grins he was gone, leaving Ianto staring after him with the radio ringing in his ears. As the Welshman dazedly pushed the button to summon his next customer he groaned as he realised that what he was listening to was Robbie Williams' 'No Regrets'.


	5. The Lover After Me

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed!**

**I'm giving you all this chapter an hour early because I have a very nasty essay to write. With any luck I'll get some positive feedback to help me through the ordeal… And I think you'll like this chapter. It's one of my favourites, anyway. =)**

**Hmm, and I think the time is right to reiterate the offer/challenge I made in the first chapter. I will write a short request fic (any pairing, any prompt, within reason) for the first person to correctly guess the significance of the chapter titles- which should just about be beginning to emerge by now…**

**Once again, big hugs and special thanks to my gorgeous beta Amethysbutterflys. Challenge is still on love, because yes, I know you do! xxx**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong to Daniel Jones and Darren Hayes, aka Savage Garden.

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**Chapter 5**

**The Lover After Me**

(_You moved on, I still feel exactly the same… It's just that everywhere I go all the buildings know your name like photographs and memories of love; steel and granite reminders- the city calls your name and I can't move on… Ever since you've been gone, the lights go out the same; the only difference is, you call another name to your love, to your lover now- the lover after me…_)

* * *

As it happened, 'friends' proved rather more awkward than it had sounded that day in Ianto's bank. Despite their tentative agreement neither man found the courage to call the other, and so a good two and a half weeks passed before they ran into one another again.

Ianto had permitted Tosh to drag him shopping, and he was making an attempt to creep slowly away from the jewellery counter when a familiar American accent assaulted his ears.

"No, no, I'm looking for something subtle! Tasteful. Probably silver."

Whirling around, he found himself eye to eye with Jack yet again. Any attempt to duck out of sight would have been futile as his eyes locked with the American's and he inwardly groaned as Jack beamed and beckoned him over.

"I didn't know you were doing drag now," the Welshman commented lightly in greeting, nodding to the garish necklace in Jack's hand.

The American laughed loudly whilst the assistant whom he had been haranguing gave his customer a distinctly odd look and edged away with all possible speed. Jack's smile widened as he dumped the necklace unceremoniously on the counter.

"Thank god! Honestly, what do you have to do nowadays to convince someone you don't _want_ to buy your girlfriend a fucking eyesore for her birthday?"

Oh, of course. Martha.

Hiding a frown with difficulty, Ianto shrugged. "Borrow Tosh?" he suggested. "I believe women tend to be better at bawling out jewellers than men are."

"Now that's just prejudiced," Jack tutted, wagging a finger at his ex. "But you have taste, Yan- you can help me look. It'll give you something to do whilst Tosh is spending three hours deliberating between two identical belts, trying to decide which will impress this Owen Harper more," the American smirked.

Ianto blinked. "You remembered," he whispered. He was pretty sure he had only mentioned Tosh's crush on the acerbic doctor once.

Jack shrugged. "Believe it or not, I did actually listen when you talked, Yan."

"In light of the evidence, I suppose I'll have to alter my opinion," Ianto smirked.

Jack pouted. "I'm wounded that you ever thought otherwise."

"Don't pout, darling, it doesn't suit you," the Welshman murmured absently as he cast an eye over the necklaces on display.

"No? I thought it went rather well with my baby blue eyes."

Ianto snorted. "I'm sorry, Captain, but your mind is _far_ too dirty to even contemplate using the word 'baby' to describe your appearance."

Jack chuckled. "You never did buy my innocent look."

"Felt like a waste of money," Ianto returned with a grin. "Experience suggested that the goods would be faulty."

The American smirked. "I hope that's not a criticism of my technique, Mr Jones."

"Of course not, Captain. I wouldn't dare be so bold." Ianto raised a cheeky eyebrow at Jack before turning his attention to the jewellery counter.

Jack smirked, stepping closer to follow Ianto's gaze. "Oh, but I loved it when you were bold."

"You loved it when I was coy," Ianto countered, glancing at Jack with lowered eyes which glinted cheekily through long lashes.

The American swallowed, and was about to make some reply when a third presence crashed abruptly into their conversation.

"Oh, there you are, Yan! Come here, I need your opinion." Tosh laid a hand on her friend's arm and steered him away from the jewellery counter, shooting Jack an apologetic smile.

"Sorry to steal him away from you, Jack, but I _really_ need his help."

Finding himself hustled away, it was all Ianto could do to retain the self-possession to call over his shoulder: "Silver heart, third row, second from the right!"

As Tosh dragged him away, Ianto could feel Jack's eyes on his back and a shiver ran down his spine. For a brief time, everything had been like it had before, and despite the task of choosing the necklace for Martha Ianto had almost forgotten that it would be she whom Jack would be taking home to bed. The brief conversation had reminded Ianto of all the good times he had used to have with Jack, and it hurt more than he had expected to walk away from the American now.

As if to twist the knife that bit further, the store radio was playing 'The Lover After Me'; but Ianto scarcely had time to appreciate the bitter irony before Tosh turned on him.

"What the hell was that?" she hissed as soon as she had dragged him sufficiently far away from Jack.

"Nothing!" Ianto protested, jerking his arm free of her grip. "He asked for an opinion, so I gave him one."

"He asked for an opinion on what to buy his _girlfriend_ for her birthday, not an opinion on his seduction technique!" his friend snapped back.

Ianto scowled. "What is your problem?" he demanded. "Jack and I are friends now- get used to it!"

"Oh, friends, are you?" Tosh scoffed scornfully. "It didn't look like friends. At least, I don't flirt outrageously with _my_ friends."

"Well maybe I'm not quite so uptight!" Ianto returned furiously, not caring how much he hurt her in the heat of the moment.

"If being considerate is uptight, then yeah, I'm uptight!" Tosh shot back. "You were an eyelash-flutter away from snogging him, Ianto! He has a _girlfriend_, Yan, and this isn't fair to anyone. So let me remind you that _you_ dumped _him_ and then forgive me for not wanting to see you get hurt!"

With that she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving a stunned and furious Welshman gasping after her.


	6. You Could Be Happy

**Once again, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed. I hope you're all enjoying this so far!**

**Special thanks to my wonderful and hardworking beta Amethystbutterflys. X**

**This chapter is for RhianaStar, who correctly anticipated the song.**

**The lyrics included here belong to Gary Lightbody; the song is by his awesome band Snow Patrol.

* * *

**

**Chapter 6**

**You Could Be Happy**

(_You could be happy- I won't know. But you weren't happy the day I watched you go..._)

* * *

Four weeks later, Ianto and Tosh still hadn't spoken since their big row, and the Welshman was beginning to feel more than a little lonely. As a consequence, he was more delighted than usual when his niece and nephew's primary school had a training day on which both their parents had to work. Rhiannon had been a little suspicious of Ianto's uncharacteristic eagerness to babysit; but since it was saving her arse she didn't jeopardise the arrangement by saying anything.

So it was that Ianto found himself on a train to Newport at 8am one rainy Friday in June. At that time in the morning the train was packed with commuters, so it came as no surprise when a soft voice murmured "Is this seat taken?"

The voice was strangely familiar, but half-asleep Ianto overlooked this fact as he shook his head and waved a vague hand in the general direction of the vacant aisle seat beside him.

"Thanks."

A warm body dropped down beside him, and for the first time Ianto looked round. The Welshman started, realising in a flash the significance of the voice.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded.

Jack grinned. "Good morning to you too."

"You're far too cheerful," Ianto admonished. "Why aren't you tucked up in your car protecting us poor folk here from over-dazzling smiles?"

He winced in the face of the American's teeth, and Jack chuckled.

"The car's in for a service; but I can't let that stand in the way of duty. There are schools in Newport that need brainwashing into joining the Air Cadets."

"Oh, I see," Ianto said. "This is all part of your plans for world domination?"

Jack gave another of his dazzling grins. "Oh yes."

The Welshman raised an eyebrow. "And does Martha know about these plans of yours?"

"Of course, why else do you think I'm dating a doctor?" Jack smirked. "She loved the necklace, by the way."

Uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking, Ianto forced a smile. "Good. I'm glad."

"And how are you holding up?" Jack asked, a veil of anxiety momentarily clouding his features.

Ianto resisted the temptation to glare with difficulty. Just because he was single, it didn't make him an invalid!

"I'm fine," he said.

Jack raised a sceptical eyebrow. "And 'fine' is taking you to Newport at 8am on your day off to see your sister, is it?"

"I'm babysitting," Ianto explained shortly. "David and Micah's school is on a training day and Johnny and Rhi both have to work."

"That's very noble of you," Jack winked, and Ianto shrugged.

"Yeah, well. I am their uncle and all; and they have just about got to the stage of stopping asking what happened to you."

The American smiled. "Well, that's something, I suppose. They're good kids."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Ianto grinned. "They've stopped asking and started re-enacting."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Re-enacting? What _did _happen to me, precisely?"

The Welshman grinned. "Last account, you got eaten by crocodiles."

"In Wales?"

"We do have zoos in Wales, you know."

Jack chuckled. "Okay... When, where and, y'know, _why_ was I eaten by crocodiles?"

Ianto grinned. "About six months ago, at Cardiff Zoo, and, y'know, because the crocodiles were hungry."

"Why were we at Cardiff Zoo, exactly? And why didn't they eat you?" The American raised an eyebrow.

"We were there on a date. And that's exactly what Micah asked. I told her it was because I'm too skinny. Rhi agreed and threw another slice of roast beef on my plate. I think she thinks it's her duty to feed me up now that I am, and I quote, 'fending for myself again'."

Jack smiled, a little sadly. "At least you know she cares."

Ianto reached out to squeeze the American's hand, knowing that family was a bit of a sore topic with Jack- his younger brother hadn't spoken to him in thirteen years. The American squeezed back, then forced his trademark grin to his face.

"So that's Micah's reaction... How did David respond?"

Ianto laughed. "David's response was to inform me that he'd like to take Jessica Evans to the zoo because she is, and again I quote, 'a stupid bitch' and if a crocodile eats her he won't have to sit next to her in class any more."

"Oh dear!" Jack chortled. "How badly did Rhiannon kill him?"

The Welshman chuckled. "Well Johnny cuffed him round the ear, and Rhi told him that if Jessica Evans got eaten by a crocodile he'd have to sit with Sophie Ellis instead; and he hates her more than he hates Jessica Evans. I went the simple route and told him that if he took Jessica to the zoo the crocodiles would choose him for their snack because girls have too much hair."

Jack laughed, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, I can see where this is going! He went into school the next day and got excluded for trying to cut her ponytail off with safety scissors, didn't he?"

Ianto chuckled. "Yep. Rhiannon didn't speak to me for a week. She said I was a sorry excuse for an uncle, putting ideas like that in my nephew's head. I tried to defend myself by pointing out all the less than savoury things he'd learnt from you, but for some reason that just made her more upset with me."

The American laughed again as the train pulled into Newport station. "I don't doubt it."

A faint hint of sadness underlay his tones, and Ianto felt a brief stab of guilt as he remembered how much Jack had loved interacting with the Welshman's niece and nephew.

"Does Martha not have any nieces or nephews?" he enquired as they rose to disembark, and Jack smiled.

"Her younger brother has a baby son, but he and his girlfriend live in Brighton so I've only met them the once."

Ianto bit his lip. "At least with Martha you stand a chance of being a dad someday," he ventured as the pair headed for the exit.

Jack blinked. "Bit early to be thinking about that yet, isn't it?" he enquired lightly. "We haven't been together six months yet! No, we're just having fun."

The Welshman smiled, a touch weakly it must be confessed. "Well, I'm happy for you. See you around, I guess."

Opening the door of the nearest taxi, he slid inside almost before his ex had time to return the sentiment. As he gave the address Ianto watched the American slide effortlessly into the taxi behind, wondering precisely how Jack felt about Martha. He was not amused to notice that the song playing on the radio was Snow Patrol's 'You Could Be Happy', rubbing the Welshman's face in how unhappy he had made the other man the day he had ended their relationship.

* * *

It was this realisation of unhappiness as much as anything which prompted Ianto to pick up his laptop as soon as he got home and send a long email to Tosh begging her forgiveness. It was the first time in their friendship that Ianto had been the first to back down after a fight, and astonishingly the novelty of the situation was effective- the technician called back within ten minutes and didn't once mention Ianto and Jack's near kiss in McKay's as she made her own apologies. Everything, it seemed, was back to normal.


	7. One Of Us

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed!**

**Special thanks to my beautiful and fabulous beta Amethystbutterflys- love you hon! x**

**Congratulations to Quiet Time for correctly guessing that the chapter titles are an acrostic! Your fic has been plotted, and will be written as soon as I have time. =)**

**I daresay this is where my terrible taste in music is revealed… The lyrics included in this chapter belong to Bj****ö****rn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson; the song is of course by ABBA. The lyrics in [brackets] have been slightly amended by me to fit the context of the story.

* * *

**

**Chapter 7**

**One Of Us**

(_One of us is lonely; one of us is only waiting for a call- sorry for [him]self, feeling stupid, feeling small; wishing [he] had never left at all…_)

* * *

Now that he and Tosh were friends once more, Sod's Law decided it was time to start screwing up Ianto's life again. For three blissful, peaceful weeks the Welshman encountered neither sight nor sound of the American; so it figured that the next time Ianto ran into him, Captain Harkness was in uniform.

It was a sunny Tuesday lunchtime, and Ianto had decided to treat himself to a salad from the deli down the road from the bank where he worked.

As he reached for the spoon for the feta cheese, his hand collided with another, and as their fingers brushed he glanced up sharply, straight into startled blue eyes. An electric shock jolted through him as he took in the American's regalia, and in that instant he knew that his efforts were in vain: Jack was the proverbial 'one that got away'; the one man Ianto would never quite get over no matter how long he lived. Cursing his stupidity in letting his fear of getting hurt get the better of him, the Welshman tried to remember how to speak.

"Hi…" Jack breathed, apparently as affected by the immaculately suited Welshman as Ianto was by the uniformed Captain.

"Hi," Ianto murmured, echoing Jack's words as he attempted to find a coherent sentence to make the whole situation less awkward.

"You're in uniform…" he finally managed to stutter, drifting away from the counter as someone behind him cleared their throat impatiently.

Jack subconsciously followed, raising an eyebrow. "Do you know, I didn't realise. I thought I'd gone to work in my pyjamas."

Ianto snorted in amusement. "Jack… You don't _own_ any pyjamas."

Jack pretended to look scandalised. "You don't have to tell the whole shop!"

"But you look so fine and upstanding!" Ianto argued with a grin. "It didn't seem honest to let them maintain that false impression."

"Oh, you can talk about honesty!" Jack smirked back. "You weren't fine last month on the train- I _know_ you fought with Tosh after I saw you in McKay's. I guess she overheard us, huh?"

"She did," Ianto confirmed with a sigh.

"Honestly," Jack chuckled, unperturbed. "How long did we date, Yan? Ten or eleven months? And she never figured out in all that time that I'm a compulsive flirt?"

"Oh, she knew," Ianto assured him. "No-one could possibly fail to notice when you flirt with them, Jack."

The compulsive flirting, Ianto now recalled, had been one of the paltry reasons he had finished with Jack.

Throughout their relationship the Welshman had noticed that the Captain often seemed to have a strange knack for reading his boyfriend's mind, and the American employed this unnerving gift now and frowned.

"Oh, fuck, Yan, that's why you ended it, isn't it? I'm so sorry! I thought you knew… I didn't mean… Oh god, I fucked up royally, didn't I?"

He sounded so painfully vulnerable that Ianto felt his heart break again.

"No," he whispered, refusing to meet Jack's eye. "I did."

"Hey, hey." Gentle fingers under his chin forced his head up to gaze into the cerulean pools he had tried so hard to avoid. "No regrets, remember? I'm sorry. I shouldn't have flirted so much; I see that now. I'm an insensitive bastard and you're better off without me. So keep that chin up, yeah?"

With a sad smile, the American turned away to pay for his food before quitting the shop. Ianto stared unseeingly after him, feeling incredibly small and stupid. The mocking background of ABBA's 'One of Us' did nothing to improve his mood, and he abandoned the flimsy plastic container in his hand dejectedly. Suddenly he'd lost his appetite.


	8. Unsaid Things

**A massive thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed; I was overwhelmed by the response to the last chapter! I guess you all like a man in uniform, huh? ; )**

**Special thanks to my awesome beta Amethystbutterflys. This chapter is dedicated to you in order to spark essay inspiration. Will send you You-Know-What soon hon. Love you! x**

**Now, anyone who has been following the acrostic made by the chapter titles will of course notice that their first letters spell out 'I WANT YOU'. Make of that what you will.**

**The lyrics in this chapter belong to McFly, and again words in [brackets] have been slightly altered by me to fit the story.

* * *

**

**Chapter 8**

**Unsaid Things**

(_And somehow I'm still holding on to [him]… I still got so many unsaid things that I wanna say, and I just can't wait another day- I wish [he] knew…_)

* * *

"And I want to know what the fuck you've done with Harkness, Jones, because he hasn't flirted with me in a month and I'm now so horny that even that there poodle is starting to look good."

"Huh?" Ianto forced his wandering attention back onto the man in front of him, trying to ignore the jolt that shot through him at the sound of 'Harkness-Jones'.

"You're not even listening to me!" Captain John Hart protested with a pout. "I'll just go and shag the poodle then, shall I?"

As if overhearing them, the dog in question scrambled to its feet and fled for the hills.

"The whole universe hates me!" John moaned melodramatically, and Ianto laughed.

"Why do you assume that I'm to blame for Jack finally coming to his senses and stopping flirting with you?"

John rolled his eyes. "Because whatever you said to him in the deli last month really hit home. He hasn't flirted with another living soul bar that girlfriend of his since."

Ianto felt his heart sink heavily at the news. Clearly one unguarded comment in a moment of uniform-induced weakness had pushed Jack further into Martha's arms. Yet again the Welshman kicked himself for ever leaving the American. His one consolation was that he hadn't seen hide nor hair of Jack during the intervening months. He suspected that after the scene in the deli their already fragile friendship would have reached new heights of awkward.

"…And so I told the gorilla that if it surrendered the machine gun I'd show it the time of its life."

Ianto started, jolted back into the conversation with a shock.

"You're not listening to me at all, are you, Eye Candy? God, between you and Jack my bruised ego can't take much more!"

"It would take more than a couple of distracted moments to bring down an ego the size of yours," Ianto retorted with spirit.

The Captain smirked. "Well, you know what they say- the bigger the ego…"  
"…The smaller the penis," Ianto finished for him with a grin."

John grinned back. "You wound me; you wound me deeply. Appease me, Ianto. Say you'll come to my regimental dinner with me. Or I _will_ cry and totally embarrass you right in the middle of the city."

"Sure, whatever," Ianto agreed absent-mindedly.

John frowned. "A little more enthusiasm wouldn't go amiss," he grouched.

"You got a positive answer, didn't you?" Ianto returned.

"And it only took me eight months!" the Captain beamed.

Ianto started. Had it really been eight months since he and Jack had split up? That must mean that Jack and Martha had been together for over six months. No wonder Hart was hinting that things were starting to get serious between the pair. As he fought to stop reminiscing about the six-month mark of his own relationship with Jack, all Ianto could do was pray that he had seen the last of the dashing and enigmatic American.

* * *

With yet another cruel twist, Fate sent Ianto catapulting into Jack on his way out of a coffee shop the very next day- literally. As luck would have it, the lid of the Welshman's double shot Americano was not properly affixed, resulting in the scalding hot liquid liberally splashing both men as they collided heavily.

The pain of the coffee overriding the shock of seeing Jack, Ianto winced. "Another fucking shirt ruined," he bemoaned his bad luck in a weak attempt to hide his pain.

"I am so sorry!" Jack apologised profusely as he glanced ruefully at his own stained shirt. "Do you think that this is a hint that we should start looking where we're going?"

Ianto smiled wryly, hissing in pain as he plucked the hot shirt away from his skin. "We've collided three times in the last eight months, Jack- that doesn't mean we're clumsy, it means Fate hates us."

"Are you ok?" the American asked anxiously, ignoring the Welshman's comment in his concern at his ex's evident pain.

"I'll live," Ianto responded through gritted teeth, trying to calculate how long it would take to get home and strip the shirt off to put cold water on the scalded skin.

"No you're not," Jack corrected him with a frown. "You know my place is just around the corner- come up and let me give you some TLC, since it's my fault you got hurt in the first place. I won't try anything on, I promise."

'Well actually,' Ianto's mind responded traitorously, 'I wouldn't mind if you did.'

Shaking the illicit thought from his head, Ianto nodded slowly. "Alright. But let it be known," he added as he followed the American out of the coffee shop, "that I'm only acquiescing because I'm in too much pain to get back home."

Jack laughed. "Don't worry, Mr Jones, I'm sure your intentions are entirely honourable."

So, it seemed, were Jack's; and that threw Ianto. Well he remembered his first date with the American, when Jack had invited him in for coffee with the words: 'And I assure you, Mr Jones, my intentions are entirely dishonourable.'

Finding himself in that same flat once again, gazing at countless mementoes of Martha, Ianto felt his heart constrict.

"Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna get that wet shirt off and let me ease the burn?" Jack demanded, appearing from the kitchen armed with a cool damp cloth.

Blushing, Ianto made short work of stripping his jacket, tie and shirt off, wincing as the fabric peeled away from his injured skin.

As soon as the clothes were clear, Jack was on hand with the cool cloth, gently soothing the scalded skin. Forgetting to be uncomfortable at the almost intimate contact, Ianto closed his eyes and relaxed into the tender touch.

Gradually he became aware that the cloth was no longer that cold, and opened his eyes reluctantly.

His gaze fell on the dark stains on Jack's shirt and he felt immediately selfish.

"What about you?"

"Hmm?" Jack murmured, blinking and dropping the cloth abruptly as he realised he was still absent-mindedly caressing the Welshman's torso.

"You got splashed as well," Ianto pointed out, gesturing to Jack's shirt.

Glancing down, the American shrugged. "It'll wash."

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, Jack, I'm slightly more concerned about you than your shirt. Now get it off and let me look at you, because I know you're just going to say you're fine when you're clearly not."

Automatically he reached for Jack's buttons, and the American flinched backwards with a glare, slapping the Welshman's hand away.

"I do _not_ strip for you!" he growled. "You lost that right when you dumped me."

"Yeah? Likewise!" Ianto snapped back, grabbing up his shirt and making for the door, attempting to struggle into the garment as he went.

Leaping to his feet, Jack grabbed the Welshman's arm. "Don't be so fucking proud! Storm out if you want to, but you cannot put that back on. Sit back down and I'll lend you a shirt!"

"I don't need anything from you!" Ianto snapped, trying to wrench his arm free and succeeding only in pulling Jack off balance, bringing the American crashing into him and sending them both to the floor. Winded, they lay there for a moment, staring at one another.

Afterwards, neither could say who moved first. One moment they were scowling at one another, too breathless to continue the heated row; and the next second their lips were locked in a desperate, passionate kiss. Teeth nipped, tongues battled, hands roamed and bodies rolled; and by the time the need for oxygen tore them apart both men were panting more heavily than when they hit the floor and Jack was lying under Ianto, his shirt now open to the waist.

Ianto's eyes trailed down Jack's chest triumphantly, checking for scald marks. The American followed the Welshman's eyes and smirked when all he saw was clear tanned skin.

"See? Told you I'd be fine."

"You always were a lucky bastard," Ianto responded with a cheekily raised eyebrow, running a hand down Jack's toned chest teasingly.

Growling, the American flipped them again so that he was pinning Ianto to the floor.

"You, on the other hand…" he smirked, sliding down the Welshman's body to press gentle kisses to the scalded skin.

"It only happens around you," Ianto retorted. "Anyone would think you had a hidden agenda."

Jack raised an eyebrow at him. "Yan… Stop talking," he murmured, leaning down to capture the Welshman's lips again.

The second kiss was no less hungry and passionate than the first, duelling tongues mapping out every forgotten crevice of one another's mouths whilst wandering hands refreshed the hazy memories of each other's bodies.

They lost count of the kisses after that as eager lips began to drift along jawlines and down necks before gliding back up to reacquaint themselves with ears. Somewhere along the line trousers were unbuttoned and hands crept into underwear.

So it was that Jack had one hand wrapped around Ianto's rapidly hardening member, the other lost somewhere in the Welshman's hair, ears drinking in the delicious little gasps and moans Ianto elicited as the Captain sucked hard at the pulse point in his neck; when Jack's phone rang, jolting the two men out of their moment of irresistible passion.

"Fuck!" Jack swore vehemently, scrambling off Ianto as if the Welshman had suddenly gained a charge of two thousand volts.

Ianto blinked, sitting up slowly. "_That's_ your ringtone?" he asked incredulously as the American searched frantically for his phone.

"Only for Martha," Jack responded, finally locating the device in his coat pocket. "Fuck," he swore again as he yanked it out and hit the answer button.

Ianto sighed deeply, refastening his fly and trying desperately to think unsexy thoughts to dispel his reaction to the American.

Jack's own 'problem' seemed to have been abruptly solved by the sound of his ringtone. By the time he answered, McFly's 'Unsaid Things' had reached its chorus and Ianto was uncomfortably aware of two things: Jack's apparent closeness to Martha, and his own need to have the Captain back. But whilst Jack and Martha were together he didn't feel he could say anything to the American. Though that little display had probably said more than enough…

Ianto twisted his ruined shirt uncomfortably in his hands as Jack talked.

"Hey sweetheart… Yeah, I know I'm late, sorry!... Yeah, I was just nipping into Franco's for the coffee and I ran smack into someone and spilt their drink down them…"

At this point Martha had evidently asked if Ianto was ok, for Jack's gaze roamed over the Welshman and he raised a cheeky eyebrow.

"Yeah, he's fine; I told him I'd lend him a shirt, so I'm back at home finding one for him… Yeah, I'll only be a couple of minutes, I had to check his scalds first… Ok sweetie, you get the coffee and I'll meet you outside Franco's in ten… Ok, bye honey."

He hung up and caught Ianto's eye.

"You should go," they said in unison, then laughed.

"You're creepy when you do that," Jack complained as he got to his feet and headed towards the bedroom, evidently off to find a couple of clean shirts.

"Well sometimes you're just too cliché!" Ianto called after him.

"You used to like my clichés," Jack sighed as he returned with clean shirts.

"I still do," Ianto winked as he took the red shirt the American offered him. It looked awfully familiar, and he frowned as he checked the label.

"You bastard! This is mine!"

Jack looked suitably abashed. "Well you'd forgotten you left it here and I wanted something to remember you by slash burn on Valentine's Day."

Ianto raised an eyebrow at his ex. "Valentine's Day was five months ago- I notice you didn't burn it."

"I got too attached." Blue eyes regarded him seriously and for the briefest moment Ianto wondered if there was a double meaning to the American's words (and for once it wasn't a double entendre.) The Welshman looked away, and the spell was broken.

"I should go," they chorused, awkward fingers fumbling buttons.

"Here, let me," Jack said. Always better at speedy dressing, he had finished buttoning his shirt before the Welshman managed to button his halfway.

Obediently Ianto's fingers dropped away from the garment, and Jack finished the job gently.

When the final button was fastened he glanced up, eyes locking onto Ianto's as they realised they were so close they were sharing a breath.

The American reached up to cup the Welshman's cheek softly. "You know where the spare key is," he murmured. "Shove it through the letterbox when you let yourself out."

With a sad smile, he leaned forward to press their lips together in a tender kiss which both men knew meant 'goodbye'.

* * *

**A/N- So I'm not sure about the rating on this chapter. Is it ok as a T, or does it need upping to an M?**


	9. Blue

**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! I apologise if the last chapter worried anyone. You may be glad to know that there is one more word in the acrostic…**

**Special thanks to my fabulous beta Amethystbutterflys. Caru'ch cariad! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong to Bill Mack; and the version of the song on my playlist is by LeAnn Rimes.

* * *

**

**Chapter 9**

**Blue**

(_Blue… Lonesome, lonesome for you… Why can't you be blue over me?_)

* * *

"Fucking hell, Ianto!" Tosh exclaimed when she met the Welshman for coffee a couple of days later. "That is quite some love-bite! I can't believe you've fucked John already!"

Ianto flushed scarlet and Tosh narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Oh, no- no no no! You didn't?"

The Welshman's silence said it all, and Tosh scowled.

"I'm trying really really hard not to judge you right now, Yan…" she sighed, closing her eyes to try and keep her temper.

"I didn't set out to do it!" Ianto protested. "It just sort of… happened. Anyway, we didn't actually… y'know."

"And that makes it better how?" Tosh demanded. "He still cheated. How the hell did it happen, anyway?"

"I ran into him in Franco's, literally. The collision spilled my agonisingly hot coffee, and because he lives a stone's throw away he took me back to his for first aid and a clean shirt. He tended to my injuries, but when I asked after his he got defensive. We rowed and then somehow, I dunno, out of nowhere we were kissing."

Tosh nodded slowly. "Alright. But answer me this- he gave you a love-bite like that and then just stopped before he fucked you?"

Ianto's skin had returned to a vague approximation of its normal shade as he had explained, but now he coloured again.

"We were interrupted," he confessed.

Tosh raised a quizzical eyebrow and Ianto flushed still deeper, if possible.

"His phone rang…"

The implication hit Tosh like a tonne of bricks and she gasped. "No! Yan, how could you? The poor girl!"

"She doesn't know!" Ianto protested. "And I'll wager that she never will- he gave me a goodbye kiss. I think it's safe to say that our friendship is effectively over- I don't think I'll be seeing him again."

* * *

Naturally, Fate was eavesdropping.

* * *

Two weeks later, Ianto found himself at John Hart's regimental dinner. It was not an event he was especially looking forward to, but nine months after his break-up, he finally recognised that he needed a rebound shag to help him get over Jack. What he hadn't realised was that the 12th Welsh Fusiliers' regimental dinner was in collaboration with the 133 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.

Consequently, when Ianto entered the light and airy hall where the function was being held on Hart's arm, feeling uncomfortably like a trophy, the first person his eyes landed on was a tall and devastatingly handsome Air Force Group Captain with messy dark hair and startled startlingly blue eyes.

Two shocked men turned on Hart at once.

"You didn't tell me this is joint with the Air Force!" Ianto accused.

"You didn't tell me you were bringing Ianto!" Jack glared, and they could all feel the silent 'you bastard!' at the end of the sentence.

Ianto was clearly highly uncomfortable. John Hart clearly felt victimised. Jack was clearly angry with John for asking Ianto. And the fourth, thus far unnoticed member of the party was clearly somewhat confused.

"Ok…" the slight, pretty brunette at Jack's side began. "Firstly… Ianto, I presume?" She extended a hand to the Welshman, who nodded and shook it.

"Hey. I'm Martha, Jack's girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you," Ianto managed to choke out, and Martha grinned.

"Ok, now we've got that established…" ('Was that another double meaning?' Ianto wondered) "…I have to ask- why is it an issue that John is dating Ianto?"

The Welshman and the American promptly simultaneously choked.

"You're dating him?" Jack gasped incredulously at the same time as Ianto exclaimed: "I'm not dating him!"

John rolled his eyes. "You're _still_ doing that?" he complained.

"Evidently," Ianto responded drily. "He can still read my mind, too."

"Wait, are you saying that you two used to be together?" Martha demanded, glancing between Ianto and Jack, looking slightly dazed- evidently the American had neglected to mention to his girlfriend that he was bisexual.

"A long time ago," Jack reassured her, lying through his teeth.

* * *

Fortunately, the summons for dinner came before anyone could give Jack's little white lie away, and to his relief Ianto found himself at the other end of the officer's table to Jack- an Air Force Captain considerably outranked a regular Army Captain.

As John steered him towards their prescribed seats at the bottom end of the table, the Captain leaned in close.

"I know you agreed to one date and that we're not really a couple; but when people ask, can you _please_ pretend, just for one night? I can't stand another four courses of 'I'm not dating him!'- my ego can only take so much," he murmured pleadingly.

"Alright," Ianto agreed. It seemed the least he could do.

* * *

In the end, the actual dinner wasn't so bad. The junior officers they were sat with were on fine form, and their other halves were agreeable company too. As the alcohol flowed their end of the table became quite raucous and Ianto found himself enjoying himself more and more as the evening progressed. He had always enjoyed John's company in spite of the other man's incessant attempts to get him into bed; and taking the date from a platonic viewpoint, it was fun.

This did not seem to be the case at the other end of the table, where the group Jack was seated with appeared to be eating with dignified quiet. The experienced eye could tell at a glance that Jack was not on form; and Martha was not doing the world's best job of hiding her concern.

"Oh look," John commented with a smirk, following the Welshman's gaze. "The Innuendo Squad is at ease."

"Good!" Ianto smirked back. "Anything else would be inappropriate- we're in public!"

John laughed loudly. "See, this is why I like you, Eye Candy- you're as dirty as my mind."

"Nothing is as dirty as your mind," Ianto shot back. "It's so filthy I can hear the flies buzz every time you think. Fortunately, that's not often."

John pouted. "You're deliberately trying to hurt me, aren't you?" he whined. "Why don't you just insult my manhood and be done with it?"

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "Manhood, Vera?"

"I hate you!" John moaned, unable to keep the twinkle out of his eyes.

The Welshman grinned. "So dump me."

The Captain shrugged. "And lose our wonderfully fulfilling relationship based on mutually filthy insults?"

"I said 'dump me', not 'break friends with me'."

"Friends with benefits?" John proposed with a grin, and Ianto laughed.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

After the meal came the dancing. Naturally, John dragged Ianto straight onto the dancefloor, and it was several songs before he was able to thrust someone younger and hotter at the Captain and make his escape. Taking a seat at the edge of the floor, he let his eyes drift idly over the dancing couples. Presently he found his gaze resting on Jack and Martha as they swayed to LeAnn Rimes' 'Blue'. He could not help a little wistfulness creeping into his expression as the lyrics washed over him:

'_Blue… Lonesome, lonesome for you… Why can't you be blue over me?_'

* * *

From the dancefloor, Hart noticed the wistful gaze and sighed. It was clear that he had no chance with Ianto- the Welshman was nowhere near over Jack. However, from this perspective he could see what Ianto could not: every time Jack's eyes settled on the Welshman, they grew wistful as well. And from the look on Martha's face, she saw it too.


	10. Against All Odds

**A big thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed so far; I'm so glad you're enjoying it/wanting to bang the boys' heads together!**

**This one is a bit short, I'm afraid, but it does come after a couple of really long ones, and I think most of you will like the content anyway. =)**

**Special thanks to my amazing beta Amethystbutterflys. Caru'ch! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong to Phil Collins. I regret to confess that the version on my playlist is by Westlife and Mariah Carey.

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**Chapter 10**

**Against All Odds**

(_So take a look at me now- there's just an empty space; and you coming back to me is against the odds and that's what I've got to face… There's so much I've got to say to you; so many reasons why…_)

* * *

The next time Ianto saw Jack the American was alone, standing at the waterfront near Roald Dahl Plass, staring unseeingly out over the Bay. Jack had made it pretty clear that he didn't trust himself around Ianto and that he wanted the Welshman out of his life; but Ianto couldn't bear to see his ex look so small and lost and miserable. Consequently, he tentatively approached the American.

"Jack?"

The Captain started, then turned slowly. "Oh, it's you."

"Are you alright?" Ianto asked, and the American raised an eyebrow.

"Do I fucking well _look_ alright?"

Ianto had to admit that it had been a stupid question- the American's eyes were red-rimmed with tears.

"Ok, let me rephrase that. Is there anything I can do to stop you throwing yourself into the sea?"

"Buy a rope and tie me to the railings?" the American suggested, the faintest hint of humour beginning to creep into his tones.

Encouraged, Ianto raised an eyebrow. "This is not the time or place for kinky sex games, Sir."

"Too damn right!" the American agreed, seemingly ignoring the word which once upon a time had never failed to make him weak at the knees when issued invitingly in Ianto's delicious Welsh accent. "Especially since I have no-one to play them with."

Ianto blinked. "You mean…?"

Jack nodded, tearing up a little. "She dumped me, Yan. She fucking dumped me because she thinks I'm still in love with you." He laughed, a little madly.

Ianto visibly started. Whatever he had been expecting, it was not this. Still attracted to, yes. Still in love with, no. Hell, he hadn't even been entirely convinced that Jack had loved him when they had been together.

"And, are you?" he stuttered.

Jack gave that disturbing laugh again. "That's just it, Yan- I don't know. I don't fucking know! Half the reason I'm so upset that she ended it is that it should have been me leaving her, given how fucking guilty I've been feeling. I'm a complete bastard, aren't I?"

"No," Ianto shook his head sadly. "You're an officer and a gentleman, Jack. I'm the rotten bastard. I never should have left you. I'm sorry."

Jack sighed. "You're not a bastard, Yan. I drove you away with my actions. No, don't deny it- I know I hurt you, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry." He smiled sadly and shook his head. "Look, I know we struggle with this, but if it's possible could you please try not to run into me for the next few weeks? I need some time and space to sort my head out."

With another half-smile, he turned and walked away.

Ianto sighed heavily and stared after him, trying his best to be realistic and quash the sudden flare of hope that one day Jack might actually forgive him and take him back. The sound of Westlife's 'Against All Odds' drifting from the Millennium Centre as he walked past did not help with this aim.


	11. Crawling Back To You

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Sorry this is an hour late; I got caught up in editing my poetry portfolio.**

**Special thanks to my awesome beta Amethystbutterflys, without whom I would probably be having a meltdown. Love you hon! x**

**The lyrics included with this chapter belong to Blair Daly and Chris Farren. I am embarrassed to admit that the track on my playlist is by the Backstreet Boys. *blushes*

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**Chapter 11**

**Crawling Back To You**

(_Everybody knows that I was such a fool to ever let go of you, but baby I was wrong; and yeah I know I said we'd be better off alone; it was time that we moved on… I know I broke your heart- I didn't mean to break your heart; but baby here I am- banging on your front door, my pride spilled on the floor; my hands and knees all bruised, and I'm crawling back to you, begging for a second chance- are you gonna let me in? I was running from the truth, and now I'm crawling back to you…_)

* * *

For the first time since he had ended the relationship, Fate actually listened to Ianto's prayers and he did not see Jack again for over a month. He wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing, but endeavoured to spend the time convincing Tosh that his one illicit tryst with Jack had nothing to do with the end of the American's relationship.

* * *

When he finally did see Jack again, he was somewhat drunk. This may or may not have been responsible for the Welshman's behaviour upon catching sight of the American across a crowded club late one Friday night. Weaving straight across the dancefloor in a manner remarkably steady for a man who had already knocked back four double vodkas, he made a beeline for Jack.

"Hello there, gorgeous," he drawled upon reaching his ex, attempting a seductive smile which the vodka turned into something more like a disturbing leer.

Jack started, whipping round. "Well, what are the chances?" he demanded of no-one in particular, looking neither especially happy nor especially annoyed to see the Welshman.

"Did your head sort out?" Ianto demanded, miraculously remembering some of the last conversation he'd had with the American.

Jack sighed heavily, evidently far closer to sober than the Welshman was. Taking Ianto's hand, he led his ex through the doors and out of the main room of the club, halting in an alcove at the top of the stairs. The music from the dancefloor still drifted through, but it was a lot quieter here, and possible to converse without shouting.

"I don't know, Yan," he finally answered. "Life's so much easier when you're single, y'know? Less unwanted drama. Maybe I'll just marry John and be done with it; he's been after me for years and he's a decent bloke."

Ianto looked horrified, sobering up a little immediately. "But wh-what about me?" he demanded. "I miss you, Jack. Why can't we give it another go?"

The American sighed. "I don't think it's a good idea, Ianto."

"Please!" Ianto begged. "Pretty pretty pretty please! I'll be a better boyfriend this time, I pwomise."

The further the Welshman let his dignity slip as he begged for another chance, the more uncomfortable Jack looked.

"I don't know, Yan."

"But you don't love John!" Ianto protested.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I loved you, Ianto, and look how that turned out."

"Please!" Ianto pleaded again. "I can be better, I promise! Just give me another chance!"

"Give me one good reason," the American shot back. "Give me one reason why I should take you back, Ianto! Give me one good reason why I should believe you."

"Because I love you," Ianto responded promptly. "And because I promise. And I always keep my promises."

"Do you?" Jack raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"You know I do!" Ianto snapped. "Now stop being such a wanker and tell me that you'll give me another chance!" The alcohol made him lose sight of what he was saying, and Jack stared at him.

"You broke my heart, Ianto! You broke my heart and you wouldn't even tell me why. You've gotta understand, I have some trust issues."

As Jack's words sunk in, Ianto felt his own heart break. It was no use. No matter how much he forsook his pride and begged, this was one battle he was never going to win. The Welshman was too distraught to notice the music, but Jack was sardonically amused to note how much Ianto's language was echoing the words of 'Crawling Back To You' as they drifted through from the main room of the club. He threw the Welshman a lifeline.

"Tell me why, Ianto. Tell me why you left and I'll consider it."

This was not a question Ianto was especially well equipped to answer under the influence, but he gamely tried it anyway.

"I was scared," he whispered. "I loved you too much. It killed me when you flirted with other people, and I always thought that one day you were going to meet someone better; that I had no chance of holding you. So I decided that I would leave you before you left me."

* * *

As he listened to the explanation Ianto offered, downcast eyes focused on the floor as the Welshman made his confession, Jack felt his heart break all over again. But he had his pride and he wasn't quite willing to forgive the Welshman just yet, especially not whilst his ex was so tipsy. He smiled weakly.

"I've got your number, Ianto. _If_ I decide to give you another chance, I'll call you."

Turning on his heel, he was gone before the Welshman could form any reply.


	12. King Of Wishful Thinking

**A huge thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed! I really appreciate all the support and feedback. I'm so glad you have enjoyed this. x**

**Special thanks to my fabulous fabulous fabulous beta Amethystbutterflys. Love you cariad! x**

**I sincerely apologise for the lack of an update yesterday- I'm back home for a couple of weeks and my parents have been having some problems with the internet. It all seems to be fixed now though, thankfully.**

**Well, the acrostic now reads 'I WANT YOU BACK'. I'll leave it for you to decide whether that sentiment belongs to Ianto or Jack.**

**The lyrics in this chapter belong to Peter Cox, Richard Drummie and Martin Page. The song (which, incidentally, is one of my all-time favourites) is by Go West.

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**Chapter 12**

**King Of Wishful Thinking**

(_And I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the King of Wishful Thinking…_)

* * *

The three weeks which followed this drunken conversation were the worst of Ianto's life. During his working days he was unfocused and distracted, counting down the seconds until the end of the day and checking his mobile as often as he dared. When at home, he flatly refused to move more than a metre from the phone, and was so snappish with Tosh, Rhiannon and John when they rang that eventually they stopped calling, granting Ianto his wish for them to cease tying up the line. It scarcely needs to be said that during this time, the Welshman did not hear a single word from Jack.

Of course, the fact that Ianto was unwilling to speak with her on the phone did nothing to deter Tosh, and she took it upon herself to bring round groceries at least once a week. When she wasn't round at Ianto's trying to cheer him up and making sure that he ate properly, she sent encouraging emails and shared amusing links, doing everything she could to put even the tiniest smile back on his face.

Ianto himself spent the time on despairing tenterhooks, praying for the phone to ring but not really expecting it to. He recalled his last conversation with Jack with nothing but mortification. He was probably being stupid to waste even a second hoping that Jack might perhaps call- clearly he didn't deserve the American. He felt that he didn't deserve Tosh either, and felt profoundly grateful to his best friend.

* * *

It was on a rainy Tuesday near the end of November that Ianto arrived home to find a message on his answering machine. It was short, sweet and to the point.

"_Hey Yan, it's Jack. Well, I've thought things over, and come to a decision. If you wanna hear it, meet me in the Fiddler's Arms on Friday at eight_."

The American's tones gave nothing away, but the Welshman found himself flooded with sudden hope. Friday could not come soon enough.

* * *

Naturally, the week crawled. When eight o'clock on Friday finally arrived, Ianto stepped into the Fiddler's Arms filled with trepidation. The instant the door of the pub opened, his ears were assaulted by a fearful caterwauling. Oh dear god- it was a karaoke night! If there was one thing Ianto really could not stand (apart from broccoli) it was pub karaoke nights. Drunken plebs plus microphone equalled audible disaster, as far as he was concerned; and this was something Jack knew perfectly well.

Gritting his teeth and realising that this was probably a test, Ianto stepped further into the pub and made his way over to the bar. Knowing Jack, the American would be late, and the Welshman was damned if he was sitting through this assault on his eardrums without alcohol in his hand. As he waited for his pint of Brains to be pulled, Ianto self-consciously smoothed a hand over his navy jeans and checked that his red shirt was neatly tucked in. He knew it was perhaps unfairly manipulative, but he had made damned sure to wear Jack's favourite outfit, right down to the black converse and pinstriped waistcoat that completed it.

Just as Ianto received his foaming pint and passed the money to the bartender, the all-too-clearly tipsy woman on the stage finished her dreadful performance and staggered back to her seat in her five-inch stilettos, scarcely realising that her mini-skirt was riding dangerously high. A second later, all thoughts of the stranger were driven straight out of Ianto's head as he turned back to the karaoke station and froze.

The next singer had taken their position, and that singer was… Jack.

The Captain was dressed down in dark jeans and a light blue shirt, and Ianto didn't know whether to take heart from that or not. True, he loved that outfit, but then again it was Jack's favourite too, and it was impossible to tell whether the American was wearing it for Ianto or for himself. Another enigma was Jack's air of confidence: on the one hand it suggested that he was about to sing something along the lines of Gloria Gaynor's 'I Will Survive' and announce himself totally single; footloose and fancy-free. But then again, the Captain almost always seemed calm, confident and unruffled.

Deciding that he wasn't going to learn anything from Jack's appearance, Ianto forced himself to stop panicking and overanalysing and to just listen.

"Hey," Jack greeted the bar easily with one of his trademark engaging grins. "So a couple of weeks ago someone asked me a question, and this is the answer they've been waiting for."

Winking across the pub at Ianto- the first sign that he was actually aware of the Welshman's presence- the American nodded to the barman to start up the music. Taking his cue, Jack began to sing:

"_I don't need to fall at your feet, just 'cause you cut me to the bone; and I won't miss the way that you kiss me: we were never carved in stone…_"

Jack had always had a surprisingly good voice, and most unusually the chatter in the pub died down as most of the punters turned to listen. All this was lost on Ianto, who was totally captivated by his ex as he blindly took a nervous swig of his beer. This was _not_ a good start…

"_If I don't listen to the talk of the town, then maybe I can fool myself- I'll get over you, I know I will; I'll pretend my ship's not sinking… And I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the King of Wishful Thinking... I am the King of Wishful Thinking…_"

Ianto clutched his pint tighter as Jack swung effortlessly into the next verse, holding the Welshman's eye meaningfully.

"_I refuse to give in to my blues- that's not how it's gonna be; and I deny the tears in my eyes: I don't wanna let you see, no-o-o, that you have made a hole in my heart, and now I've got to fool myself- I'll get over you, I know I will; I'll pretend my ship's not sinking... And I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the King of Wishful Thinking… I'll get over you, I know I will; I'll pretend my ship's not sinking... And I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the King of Wishful Thinking…I'll get over you, I know I will- you made a hole in my heart… But I won't shed a tear for you: I'll be the King of Wishful Thinking… I'll get over you, I know I will- I'll pretend my heart's still beating, 'cause I've got no more tears for you- I'm the King of Wishful Thinking…_"

As Jack's voice faded out ("_I'll get over you, I know I will- you made a hole in my heart; and I'll tell myself I'm over you, 'cause I'm the King of Wishful Thinking…_"), Ianto replaced his drink on the bar with trembling hands. So. He had his answer.

The trouble was, the Welshman had absolutely no idea what Jack was trying to say. The song the American had picked was just the tiniest bit ambiguous. Was the Welshman's ex telling him to fuck off, or trying to say that he found it as impossible to get over Ianto as Ianto had found it to get over him? The Welshman simply could not say.

His negative side told him to cut and run immediately to spare him the embarrassment of seeing Jack when the answer was so clearly 'no'; but his stubborn side won over. Ianto Jones was not going anywhere. Taking a deep breath, he steeled his trembling nerves and managed to force a smile as Jack pushed his way through the crowd. It was make-or-break time.


	13. Epilogue: Have You Met Miss Jones?

**A final massive thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed. I'm so glad you've enjoyed this story!**

**Special thanks to my amazing beta Amethystbutterflys for everything. Love you hon!**

**The epilogue is dedicated to all the people I managed to fool into thinking the story was over at the close of the last chapter. I sincerely apologise. Hope you enjoy the real ending!**

**Yep, this is it. It really is over. Thanks again for reading! I hope the ending meets with your approval.**

**The lyrics in this chapter belong to Lorenz Hart, and words in [brackets] have been slightly adapted by me to fit the story. The version on my soundtrack is the one by Robbie Williams. Unsurprisingly, this is the song which inspired this entire fic. And yes, I know the minor alterations to the lyrics don't fit the actual tune. But just go with it and find your own tune. It is possible to make it work.

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**Epilogue**

**Have You Met Miss Jones?**

(_And all at once I lost my breath and all at once was scared to death and all at once, I own the earth and sky. And now I've met [Mr] Jones, and we'll keep meeting 'til we die, [Mr] Jones and I…_)

* * *

**One Year Later**

"You don't think we rushed into this a little fast, do you?" Ianto wondered as he walked towards the dancefloor.

Jack frowned across at him. "You're surely not about to suggest that we start a pattern in our lives, alternating one year together with one apart, are you? Because I'll tell you right now, sexy, I don't accept. From now on, you're staying right by my side, even if I have to hold you there at gunpoint!"

The Welshman laughed. "Is that _entirely_ legal?"

"Is it entirely necessary?" his companion shot back with one eyebrow raised.

As they reached the edge of the dancefloor together, Ianto shook his head in response. "No," he said softly, squeezing Jack's arm. "I'm not going anywhere."

They shared a smile; then the sexily rough voice of their band's lead singer echoed across the reception hall in which they stood.

"Ladies and gentleman, I give you Captain and Mr Harkness-Jones in their first dance as a legally joined couple."

Jack gave his trademark megawatt grin and offered Ianto a hand. "Shall we?"

Ianto beamed back as he accepted it. "Only if you let me lead."

Jack snorted and raised an eyebrow as he led his civil partner out into the centre of the dancefloor. "Maybe next time, Tiger Pants."

Stopping Ianto's retort with a kiss, he stepped effortlessly into their prepared dance as the first strains of music began to fill the room.

'_Have you met Mr Jones? Someone said as we shook hands he was 'just Mr Jones' to me… And then I said "Mr Jones, you're a guy who understands I'm a man who must be free…" And all at once I lost my breath and all at once was scared to death and all at once, I own the earth and sky. And now I've met Mr Jones, and we'll keep on meeting 'til we die, Mr Jones and I…_'

* * *

Across the floor, Toshiko Sato watched her best friend sway in the arms of his new husband, happy and contented. Their road might have led over many obstacles, but they had got here in the end, and she couldn't be happier for them.

She smiled, and the scrawny dark-haired man sitting beside her noticed.

"Happy?" he asked, and her smiled broadened as she turned to face him.

"Couldn't be more so."

Her companion smiled and kissed her softly. "Reckon it's our turn next?"

Tosh chuckled and raised an eyebrow. "Our turn to what? Get hitched; or break up for a year over something stupid?"

"Oh, the latter, naturally," he responded, raising an eyebrow in return. Slipping from his seat and pulling something from his jacket pocket, he landed on one knee at her side, an open ring box in his hand displaying a sparkling diamond.

Tosh gasped, and he grinned, taking her left hand in his.

"Toshiko Sato, will you do me the very great honour of breaking up with me for a year over something stupid?"

Her laughter rang through the room as she nodded. "On the condition that we can also get hitched in a fancy hotel afterwards."

"Well that goes without saying."

Pulling the ring from its box, he slid it up the third digit of her left hand to nestle at the base of her finger, then pulled her close for a kiss.

* * *

In the middle of the dancefloor, Jack noticed and nudged Ianto.

"Oh look, I think we've inspired something!" he murmured as the music for their first dance as civil partners drew to a close.

The Welshman followed his gaze and a beaming smile broke out over his face. "Would you excuse me one moment, Captain Harkness-Jones?"

Without waiting for an answer, he slipped across to the band and whispered a request for Tosh's favourite song. As the group hastened to comply, the Welshman returned to his husband and took his hand again.

"And this time it's my turn to lead…"

* * *

As the first strains of 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' swelled through the room, Toshiko stared down at the stunning diamond on her ring finger through teary eyes. She did not think she had ever been happier.

Her companion's hand still held hers, and now he raised her gently to her feet. "Shall we?"

She nodded; and against the background of the classic romantic lyrics, Doctor Owen Harper led his fiancée onto the dancefloor.


End file.
